Atascadero appoints new fire chief

July 9, 2026

By KAREN VELIE

The city of Atascadero announced Thursday the appointment of David Van Son to head the Atascadero Fire Department. Van Son, currently a battalion chief, is slated to assume the role of chief on Sept. 19.

Casey Bryson is retiring on Sept. 18 after 26 years of service to Atascadero.

Van Son brings 37 years of fire service experience. He started his fire career with the Santa Barbara County Hot Shot Crew; after working three fire seasons, he joined the U.S. Air Force and served three years as a firefighter and senior airman before being hired as a firefighter with the City of Great Falls, Montana.

In 2021, Van Son joined the Atascadero Department of Fire and Emergency Services as a battalion chief. In this role, he has overseen fire prevention, plan review, public education, vegetation management, weed abatement enforcement, and fire and life safety inspections.

He works closely with residents, developers, businesses and regional partners to enhance wildfire preparedness, community resilience and public safety.

“Chief Van Son has demonstrated exceptional leadership, professionalism, and dedication throughout his career,” said City Manager James Lewis. “His commitment to public safety, his collaborative leadership style, his demonstrated integrity and calm and humble demeanor and the relationships he has built within our community, make him the right person to lead the department into its next chapter.”